Maryland Police Academy Requirements: How to Become a Police Officer in MD

Thinking about applying to become a police officer in Maryland? Well, out of all the 50 states, Maryland is definitely one of the top 5 states to start a law enforcement career in. The reason is because it is close to very popular states such as Pennsylvania and New York.

This makes a difference because every year, the population of Maryland continues to increase at a very high rate. So that means that the demand for police officers will always be high. This article we drafted will help you go over a few of the basics about becoming a police officer in Maryland, but for more in-depth guides that will help you every step of the way we recommend visiting www.PrepareForThePoliceAcademy.com.

Minimum Requirements

Now as we mentioned earlier, the population of Maryland is always increasing, but that also means that there is many more people trying to become police officers. Mainly because not only is the pay great, but it’s a very stable career. So as you may expect, there are a few minimum requirements that each applicant must meet in order to even be able to participate in police training.

The requirements includes: First, the applicant must be a citizen of the United States of America. Second, the applicant must have a high school diploma or at least have a valid G.E.D. (it must not be a mail in G.E.D.). Also, the applicant must be 21 years old or older. And lastly, the applicant must have a valid drivers license (must not be suspended or expired).

Exams and Background Check

Now, once the minimum requirements are taken care of, the next step becomes a little bit more difficult. The first phase of testing includes a written exam. This test is given to gauge your writing skills and report writing skills. Don’t worry though, the examiner will thoroughly go over the proper way to write a report.

Along with these two exams, there’s also an exam that tests your observation skills. This is important because one of the most important aspects of being a good police officer is being able to observe certain situations and pressure and act accordingly.

After that series of tests is done and you’ve passed all 3, the next step is to take the physical fitness tests. These tests involve many basic exercises including situps, pushups, running and walking. What makes the exercises difficult to complete though is the fact that you will be given a set time to complete all of the exercises.

Now, be sure to work on your fitness prior to applying to become a police officer because even if you pass your other exams with flying colors, you won’t be able to move on to the next phase of training if you can not pass any of the physical tests.

The examiner will go out of their way to push you as hard as possible because they want to be sure that all applicants who eventually become police officers is ready for any situation that occurs that involves running such as chasing a suspect. If you need to know the exact specifics of what the training entails, be sure to visit www.PrepareForThePoliceAcademy.com.

Next is the background check. This usually takes a while because not only do they thoroughly check your entire history, but they also interview past employers, family members, neighbors and almost anyone else that may know anything about you. They do this to make sure that the person they are training has good character and morals.

There’s also a drug screening all applicants must take. Lastly, as for the criminal history, anyone with a felony conviction or a high-level misdemeanor is automatically disqualified. But some minor misdemeanors may not have any negative affect on your ability to participate in training.

Post Law Enforcement Academy & Average Salary

Once you passed all of the tests and exams, you are then able to graduate and officially become a police officer. With such a high demand for police officers in Maryland, it usually doesn’t take long to actually get a job once you graduate.

And as for the salary, you’ll be happy to know that the starting salary is nearly $59,000 a year. Now while Maryland has an average cost of living rate, most people would be extremely happy to make $59,000 annually right out of college. Especially since most people in other professions only make about $30,000 a year after graduation. So now that you know what to expect when applying to become a police officer, be sure to visit www.PrepareForThePoliceAcademy.com for more in-depth guides that will help you every step of the way!